Auckland Australian Football League
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The Auckland Australian Football League which began in 1974, is an amateur Australian rules football competition in Auckland, New Zealand currently consisting of 6 clubs and is one of the leagues governed by AFL New Zealand. The league has a men's competition and affiliated women's competition known as Auckland Women's AFL featuring some of the same clubs. The competition runs from September to December to avoid clashes with the rugby football season.
| Formerly | Auckland Australian Football Association (AAFA) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| Founded | 1974 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Most recent champion | North Shore Tigers (2024) |
| Most titles | 18 |
| Official website | www.aafl.co.nz |
An earlier league which existed in Auckland from 1904 until the outbreak of World War I was also known, for a time, as the Auckland Australian Football League.
History
The Auckland Australian Football Association (AAFA) was founded by former Australian professional player Terry Gay in 1974, North Shore Tigers were one of the foundation clubs.[1] Four teams were playing in 1988 and it shifted its season to spring.[1] It was renamed Auckland Australian Football League (AAFL) in 1990.[1]
In 2012 the AAFL established a 2nd Division for less competitive clubs however this lasted only one year before all clubs were to play in first division.[2]
The league went through a period of strong growth in the 2010s with players like Michael Boyce, Shane Leat, Te Kopa Tipene-Thomas, Andriu Sucu and Jackson Clince among the players selected to represent New Zealand on the international stage helping to attract more media exposure for the sport in the city.[3][4][5]
Season 2021 was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.[6]
The competition resumed in 2022 where the North Shore Tigers became the first team to go undefeated for an entire season, going 12-0 including finals.. This record has been added to in subsequent years with the Tigers going on to remain undefeated through the 2023 and 2024 seasons currently sitting at 44 games undefeated.
Current clubs
Men
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Location | Est. | Years in AAFL | AAFL Premierships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | ||||||
| Howick (formerly Pakuranga) |  | Hornets | Paparoa Park, Howick | 2012 | 2012- | 0 | - |
| Mt Roskill |  | Saints | War Memorial Park, Mount Roskill | 1991 | 1991- | 3 | 1997, 2005, 2012 |
| North Shore |  | Tigers | Sunnynook Park, Sunnynook | 1974 | 1974- | 15 | 1977, 1978, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2008, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| South City (formerly Manurewa) |  | Raiders | Mountfort Park, Manurewa | 1991 | 1991- | 2 | 1995, 1996 |
| University |  | Blues | Colin Maiden Park, Glen Innes | 1981 | 1981- | 20 | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 |
| Waitākere |  | Magpies | Parrs Park, Oratia | 1999 | 1999- | 3 | 2010, 2013, 2016 |
Women
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Location | Est. | Years in AAFL | AAFL Premierships | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Years | ||||||
| Auckland | | Blues | Colin Maiden Park, Glen Innes | 1981 | 2020- | 1 | 2025 |
| North Shore | | Tigers | Sunnynook Park, Sunnynook | 1974 | 2020- | 3 | 2020*, 2023, 2024 |
| Waitākere | | Magpies | Parrs Park, Oratia | 1999 | 2020- | 2 | 2020*, 2022 |
*2020 Women's title won by Norwest Magpies - an amalgamated side between Waitakere and North Shore
Former clubs
| Club | Colours | Nickname | Location | Formed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takapuna Eagles | Eagles | Takapuna | 1981 |
Locations
Results
Men's
| Year | Premier | Runner up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | North Shore Tigers | Waitakere Magpies | 82 (12.10) - 45 (7.3) [7] |
| 2023 | North Shore Tigers | Waitakere Magpies | 34 (4.10) - 32 (4.8) [8] |
| 2022 | North Shore Tigers | University Blues | 50 (8.2) - 32 (4.8) [9] |
| 2020 | North Shore Tigers | University Blues | 87 (14.3) - 34 (5.4) [10] |
| 2019 | University Blues | North Shore Tigers | |
| 2018 | University Blues | Mt Roskill Saints | |
| 2017 | North Shore Tigers | Waitakere Magpies | 87 (14.3)- 64 (10.4) [11] |
Women's
Historic League
The 'Auckland Football Association (under Victorian rules)' was formed at a meeting at Foresters' Hall, Newton on 28 April 1904. The initial subscription rate was 2s 6d, and forty members were enrolled at that meeting.[15][16] At the 1906 AGM, the name was changed to 'The Australian Football League of Auckland'[17] in order to differentiate the league from Rugby Union and Association (soccer) football. After several active seasons which were covered in some depth in the local papers, the league went into decline around the end of the decade due to the departure of a number of the Australian players back home. In 1912 the senior competition was put on hold due to the lack of players, with only a junior competition continuing.[18]
Clubs
Players
A number of the players in the league were immigrants from the southern Australian states. Regular mention was made in the newspaper reports of the arrival of these gentlemen and their intentions to play football in Auckland.
Four VFL players played for the league at various times, including Vic Cumberland who was rated one of the best VFL players of the day:
| Player | Years in Auckland | VFL Club details |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Sandford[22] | 1904 – | St Kilda 1901-03 |
| Vic Cumberland[23] | 1905–1906 | Melbourne 1898–1901; St Kilda 1903-04 1907-08 1912-15 1920 |
| Hughie Webb[23] | 1905 | Geelong 1900-03 |
| Hughie Callan[24] | 1906 | Essendon 1903–05; South Melbourne 1907-1910 |
Administrators
The inaugural president of the league in 1904 was a Mr McNamara. He was supported by a large committee that included 5 vice presidents; Messrs Hale, McKeon, Walsh, Kneebone and McVeigh.[25] At the 1905 AGM, Dr Tracy Inglis was elected president,[26] a position he held for a number of years. The league had a number of prominent people involved during it existence. Patrons of the league in 1905 included politicians George Fowlds and F E Baume.[26]
Competition
The new league's first game was a scratch match held on 30 April on the outer Domain.[22] Several rounds of practice matches followed prior to the start of the competition. By the end of the 1904 season Austral and Imperial were "on a level footing",[27] with Austral taking the honours, 29 to 18, in the final which was held at the Domain Cricket Ground.[28]